Politicians mourn the death of Patricia Raymaker

Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr said Wednesday he had known Raymaker since he was a kid in the 1980s.

A friend throughout his political career, she helped to get him elected as an MLA and MP and most recently served on the board of his Calgary Centre riding association, said Hehr.

“She served as a mentor to me and many progressive politicians in Calgary who at many times needed her leadership to keep hope alive,” said Hehr, who in 2015 was elected with Darshan Kang as the first two Liberal MPs from the city since 1972.

“It’s a testament to what she did, her life contribution to the party, that we actually won a couple of seats here in the last election.”

“She was tremendously important. Even in our darkest days, Pat Raymaker would stand up and champion our values … there was no stronger force in the Liberal movement in Calgary. She was a force to be reckoned with.”